


Once Upon a September

by merthurlin



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Anastasia AU, Other, only not really because I was lazy and didn't feel like re-watching, so MOSTLY an Anastasia AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merthurlin/pseuds/merthurlin
Summary: Cass grew up in an orphanage on Counterweight, never knowing who they were or where they came from. A chance meeting with a pick-pocket opens a path for them that they never thought possible - and a relationship that they never thought probable.(In which Cass is still a scion only they don't know it, Mako is a conman ready to make some big money, Aria needs some big money, and AuDy is along for the ride).





	Once Upon a September

**Author's Note:**

> Mako and Cass were pretty much begging for an Anastasia AU, and who am I to refuse? Also I'm procrastinating listening to the season 2 finale because Fear(™).
> 
> Thanks to Nico for catching all of my little mistakes, and also for generally being a void for me to yell at about f@tt.

Cass doesn’t remember their earliest childhood memory. Or, rather, they do – but what they do remember seems so impossible, so _fantastically_ improbable, that to call it a memory is probably a misnomer, a desire for something more that just isn’t there. A family: two parents, two older siblings. A room so opulent and golden that it hurt to look at. Dance, music.

Screams, fire.

A boy with bright skin and a brighter grin, taking their hand.

Cass doesn’t like to dwell on something that is so obviously fiction of their own mind, but, well, there isn’t much else to do in the orphanage. Growing up an Apostolisian on a newly-freed Counterweight has been difficult and lonely, and sometimes there just wasn’t much to do but escape inside one’s own mind. AuDy called it a coping mechanism, Cass called it foolishness.

Now AuDy – AuDy is Cass’ earliest _real_ memory. AuDy finding them after their first (but not last) escape from the orphanage. AuDy grambling but giving them food and water, something they bought especially for Cass because their metal body certainly didn’t need it. AuDy taking them back to the orphanage but promising to be a safe haven whenever it got to be too much.

Cass never had a promise made to them before.

(There was a boy, but – but – that boy wasn’t real).

Aside from that not-memory and AuDy, all Cass really had was a weird tiara – the only thing that was they had besides their clothes when they got to the orphanage. It was yet another fodder in the armies of the older bullies, and not even AuDy could tell what it was beyond “some sort of technology, Cass, just because I’m a robot doesn’t mean I know everything about tech”, but it was precious to them, a trinket in the hands of someone who had little else.

As the years went by, Cass thought about it less and less. Med school gave them a way out of the orphanage that didn’t involve living under the radar, and Cass jumped at the opportunity. AuDy was… well, not proud, but pretty relieved that Cass won’t be trying to run away anymore, and all around life was pretty… good.

Cass should have known that won’t hold up.

Now Cass knew that someday the tiara would get them into trouble. It already did, honestly – Cass lost track of the number of times they had to fight some of the older kids in the orphanage to get it back. It became easier once they started med training and knew where to hit best, anyway.

Getting it stolen out of their pocket, though? That was new. New, and very worrying.

“AuDy!” Cass burst into the Kingdom Come. “AuDy, you better be here or I swear-“

“Don’t swear”, AuDy’s head popped up of the cockpit, chiding, “I didn’t teach you to swear”.

“You didn’t teach me anything”, Cass frowned, momentarily thrown before remembering the purpose of their visit, “Shit, it’s gone!”

“Don’t swear”, AuDy repeated, before: “What is gone?”

“The tiara! Or, whatever that thing was, anyway. Someone took it!”

“And you let them?” if AuDy had a face, it would be very sceptic.

Cass glared, “Of course not! I didn’t notice anyone taking it”.

“Couldn’t it have simply… fallen out of your pocket?”

Cass rolled their eyes. “Yes, AuDy, my only precious belonging and I just let it hang out it my pocket while I’m walking around in Centralia, like an idiot”.

“You’ve done stupider things”, AuDy remarked, before continuing, “Well, what do you want me to do about it?”

“Can’t you track it, or something?” Cass asked, with a hint of desperation, “I know you said it was made from some weird alloy – Can you track that?”

“Ah, yes”, AuDy said dryly, “Me and my very strong connection to the mesh”. Despite their words, they have already began to move towards the exit.

“Hey, hey”, Cass scrambled after them, “Where are you going?”

AuDy didn’t need a face to convey how stupid they though Cass’ question was, “JM, of course. Who else? Come on then, let’s get your weird tiara, then”.

Cass breathed a sigh of relief before hurriedly following. It’s not that they thought AuDy wouldn’t help them but – AuDy tended to be contrary on the best of days, and Cass knew they never understood Cass’ preoccupation with their past. For AuDy, the past, when they had to drive around cars for the rich and wealthy and hardly had a thought of their own, was better left where it was. But AuDy was also a friend, and a good one at that, and while they might not understand, Cass knew they could count on them.

The ride to the spaceport was tense. Not for AuDy, who hardly ever felt tense even in the most awkward of situations, but for Cass, who felt half-way naked without the tiara, which have been with them for as long as they can remember. It didn’t help that even now, almost 15 years after the war, people still looked at an Apostolosian in their midst with suspicion and scorn. Cass wasn’t one to be self-conscious, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable, and they were glad to arrive at the spaceport for more than one reason.

AuDy had immediately beelined towards the familiar form of JM, and Cass made sure to follow them and not get swept in the massive crowds of the building.

“JM!” they called out, catching the attention of the other robot.

“AuDy, Cass. How lovely to see you”, the monotone, dry voice of JM was somehow still discernible in the cacophony of the place.

“JM, did you come across a very peculiar item, in the last couple of hours?” That’s AuDy for you, Cass thought, straight to the point.

“I come across many interesting items, AuDy”, of course, it took more than the direct approach to handle JM.

“It’s a circlet, about this big”, interrupted Cass, demonstrating with their fingers, “Silver and blue, weird metal”.

“Electroluminescent”, AuDy interjected.

“Ah”, JM said, waiting a few seconds before saying, “I do not seem to recall any such item, goodbye”.

Cass rolled they eyes, well-acquainted with JM’s unique brand of bartering. “Oh, for the love of –  how much? A credit? Two?”

“A credit will suffice, yes”.

Cass transferred the money over, impatient. “Well?”

“It was a new crew – I do not know their names”, JM projected the image. It was indeed two people: a woman with a short bob and wearing fashionable clothes, and a man dressed truly garishly. Cass was certainly no expert, but it truly looked like he got dressed in the dark. It’s a wonder they managed to pickpocket at all, dressed as they were.

“Do you know where they went?”

“The woman – she has a rigor in hanger bay 6A7. Of course, you didn’t hear that for me. Now, I have much work to attend to, goodbye”, and with that decisive tone, JM turned and wheeled away to whatever duties that called them.

“Right”, Cass huffed before turning in the direction of the hanger, but before they could take a step, they were stopped by AuDy’s metal arm.

“Should we have a plan?” they inquired.

Cass snorted, “I’m pretty sure you alone could take them, Mr. small-gang”.

“Ah, so our plan is violence? Just wanted to make sure”, AuDy hummed and started walking in the right direction, Cass right at their heels.

The spaceport was huge, but both Cass and AuDy have been there enough times, running small jobs for JM to not get lost. Hanger 6A7 was where they stored most mechs, but it really wasn’t hard picking out the one belonging to the two thieves.

 “Really?” Cass asked, appalled.

“Hmm, it does seem rather outlandish, doesn’t it?” AuDy agreed.

The rigor in question was… shining wasn’t a word for it. It was sparkling from lights between its bolts, painted and re-painted in almost too-bright colors. It was, hands down, the weirdest rigor Cass has ever seen, and certainly the most noticeable in the hanger. Thinking of the man and woman projected by JM, it wasn’t a huge stretch of logic to realize that this rigor could only belong to them.

Approaching it, Cass quickly saw the two people in question reclining near the legs of the rigor. The woman was typing something on her pad, ear-buds in, while the man was painting a… what looked like a hoverboard?

Cass, who learned subtlety from AuDy, stomped over. “Hey, thieves! Give it back to me!”

Startled, the two looked up from their work. Up close, they looked even more mismatched than on JM’s projection. The woman looked vaguely familiar, and in real life Cass could see that her clothes, much like her rigor, also had a shine to them. The man looked even more blinding then in the hologram, and not in a flattering way.

“Um, rude. Who are you?” It was the man who spoke up, pausing.

“The person you stole from just a few hours ago”, Cass glared, crossing their arms. They could feel AuDy coming up to stand to their left.

The woman sighed, “Mako! You promised you wouldn’t pull that shit again”.

The man, Mako, presumably, pouted. “Hey, what makes you think they are telling the truth? Could be just some kind of weirdo, out there accusing honest, working citizens of wrong-doings”.

The woman raised an eyebrow at him, “You have not worked a honest day in your life, Mako. What did you take?”

Mako stood up, “Listen, it’s not like it’s even theirs, anyway. No way would a rando Apostolosian kid would have a regalia”.

Cass was thrown for a second, “Wait, you mean – you know what it is?”

Mako gave them a weird look, “Yeah, I know what it is. What, you think Apostolosians had a monopoly on divine info?”

“Divine- what are you talking about?” Cass asked, horribly confused. They know about Divines, of course – Diasporan divines were a propaganda, one well known throughout the sector, and certainly known on Counterweight. It was their connection to Cass’ stupid tiara that didn’t make any sense.

“Alright”, AuDy interjected, “It’s clear you know something about this object that we do not. Would you mind sharing?”

“Wait, are you telling me they”, and he points at Cass, “had this”, and he points at his bag, “without knowing what it was? Why did they bother stealing it, then?”

“I did _not_ steal it!” Cass exclaimed, glaring again.

“Riiiiiight”, Mako drawled out, clearly disbelieving.

The woman, either sensing Cass’ mounting need for violence or perhaps just knowing her companion well enough, elbowed him. “Mako, honestly, just give it back. You shouldn’t have taken it in the first place”. Turning back to Cass and AuDy, she smiled, apologetic, “Sorry for him, really. At this point I think it’s less of a conscious decision he makes, but just a compulsive need for trouble”.

“How does he know what it is?” Cass said, ignoring the apology for a moment. They wanted an apology from the thief, not his companion.

“ _He_ has a name. Mako, Mako Trig, the pleasure is all yours, I’m sure”, he said, before bowing with flourish, the movement so graceful it took Cass a second to realize he grabbed his bag and took something out from it, tossing it to them. “Catch”.

Luckily, years of looking out for themself kept their instincts pretty sharp, and they managed to catch it without much trouble. It being, of course, their tiara, and Cass didn’t even notice the weight they had over their shoulders until it was gone.

“So, what is it?” AuDy asked, curiously.

Mako didn’t look like he much wanted to reply, but one look from the woman had him rolling his eyes and huffing, “Fine, fine! I’ll play. It’s a regalia used for Apostolosian divines”.

“There are no Apostolosian divines”, Cass replies automatically. History might not have been their best subject, but even they knew that much.

“Sure there are”, Mako shrugged, “Just because the empire doesn’t call them that doesn’t change what they are”.

The woman elbowed him again, “Stop fooling around, Mako”.

Mako jumped away from her, “Ow, Aria, stop it! I for real wasn’t lying this time, 100%. The rigors used by the Apostolosians during the war were functioning the same as the divines, I swear. They are some sort of ancient relics made by the first Apokine, or something. They are real stingy with the details, especially since they don’t want to admit that they have anything in common with the Diaspora”.

The woman, Aria? She blinked, non-pulsed. “Why would someone on Counterweight have that?”

“See? That was what I was saying!” Mako gestured towards Cass, who was just standing there, still trying to process that the weird jewelry they had for most of their lives was some part of a… war machine? A weapon? “They must have stolen it, only real higher ups in the military were allowed into those things”.

“I didn’t steal it”, Cass replied, almost absentmindedly. AuDy, seeing their state, added, “Cass had that for all of their lives in the orphanage. We never knew what it was, though. I just thought it was scrap metal”.

At that, Cass glared a bit at AuDy, before looking down at the tiara, regalia? Whatever, their trinket. It wasn’t their first time looking at it this closely, of course, but somehow this felt different, newer – and vastly more terrifying.

“Umm, Cass, was it?” Cass’ attention was wrenched away towards Aria, who was smiling at them sheepishly, “Please don’t report Mako? It was shitty of him, but I’ll make sure to kick his ass later, and I really don’t want to have to bail him out. Again”, she added, with a pointed look at Mako.

“Uh, yeah, sure”, Cass mumbled, their fury from before nowhere to be seen, now replaced with curiosity and apprehension. They weren’t about to make trouble for this lady just because her companion is an asshole. 

“Well, if that’s done, we should leave”, AuDy announced, “We still need to see Paisley about that job”, they reminded Cass, who, admittedly, completely forgot all about Paisley and his contract.

“Right, right”, they nodded, placing the regalia into a secure pocket, one hand resting on it to make sure no one else manages to take it. Almost as an afterthought, they glared at Mako once more. “Don’t. Do This. Again”.

Mako saluted him lazily, “Ay ay, captain”, before Aria slapped his hand down. “Honestly, Mako, what were you thinking – “

Cass could hear her ranting at Mako all the way over to the exit.

* * *

Alright, Mako could admit – pick-pocketing wasn’t one of his nicer habits. It was something he picked up after that whole thing on September – a way to make an extra buck, a way to stick it up to the assholes who just looked down at him for all his life. After meeting Aria and starting to get more... well, slightly more, respectable jobs, he quit, but it was still something that popped up in him, from time to time. Seeing an Apostolosian on Counterweight was startling, and his instincts kicked in. He meant to take it back to its owner, but then he saw it was a regalia, and honestly, stealing from a thief was probably fine, right?

Being tracked down – that he didn’t expect. Cass – that he definitely didn’t expect. Out on the street he haven’t noticed, but the Apostolosian was hot. Like, really hot. Almost unfairly so. High cheekbones, slightly translucent green-blue gills, long silky blue-black hair – they could be a model, if they wanted to.

Almost absent-mindedly, Mako found himself logging in to the mesh. Searching for Apostolosian regalia, he quickly fell into a rabbit hole of clickbaits and stupid cat videos, until one headline caught his eye.

“Apokine Sokrates of the house Palegio offers a sizable reward for whoever can bring them verifiable information on their sibling’s location!”

The article was dated, but not retracted – the offer was still in place.

Inside the mesh, Mako paused. He knew what happened that night, on the September institute. A gala, meant to celebrate the first Apostolosian students in the university. The entire royal family in attendance. Dance, music.

And then screams, fire.

Mako was only eight, then, but he remembers. He snuck into the party – even then he was pretty good at fogging already – and had the best time of his life, up until the explosions. He has never seen so much splendor, since life on September was pretty sheltered. And the food! Gods, even now Mako still salivated over the dishes he had had that night.

Of course, explosions tend to make for very quick mood killers. Luckily for him, Mako knew the institute like the back of his hand and has clocked a way out pretty quickly – but not before noticing a young child, knocked to the ground, seemingly forgotten in the commotion. Without thinking, Mako grabbed them and made for the exit. Their ways parted right after getting to the street, and it was only weeks later that Mako connected that kid he saved with the third heir to the throne of Apostalos, now long gone.

Mako never told anyone about that night. The people in September wouldn’t have cared, anyway, except maybe to punish him for sneaking out, and with Aria, well, it just never came up. It wasn’t something he thought of often, but.

Now, this was an opportunity. Or as Lazer Ted might have said: “Credit ain’t got no smell but I know a possum when I smell one!”

Ted’s metaphors always needed a bit of work to get around.

“Aria!” He yelled into the Brilliance’s cockpit, “I’m a genius!”

“Oh no”, Aria sighed, sitting in the driver’s seat, “What is it this time?”

“Look”, he forwarded her the article from before. Her pad chimed and she opened it up, a frown on her face.

“Mako, do you have any intel about an Apostolosian royal you aren’t sharing with me?”

Mako rolled his eyes, although, in a way, he kind of did? Whatever, Aria didn’t need to know that. “No, no, but it just so happens that we met an Apostolosian today, right?”

“What, and you think we just stumbled upon the royal one?” Aria raised an eyebrow, “This is reaching, even for you”.

“Augh, no!” Mako huffed, “You aren’t following. They had the regalia, right? Grew up in an orphanage, clearly didn’t know what the fuck was going on – they are perfect”.

Slow realization slowly dawned on Aria’s face. “Are you saying we… con the Apostolosian Empire?”

“Con is such a strong word”, Mako smirked, “I would call it… creative interpretation. The scion is probably long dead anyway – who would know? Cass gets an empire, the Apokine gets a sibling, we get credits – a happy ending!”

Aria bit her lips, “I don’t know Mako… This seems dangerous, and more than slightly unethical”.

“Listen, Aria”, Mako’s face, while unused to seriousness, bore it well, “I know you have been talking about doing bigger things. With the Angels, with Jamil, whatever. But we need credits for that. You know I wanna support you, yeah? This is how I can do it. How _we_ can do it. And besides, really, the way I see it we will be doing this dude a favor, and the empire as well. Nobody who lives on Counterweight wouldn’t kill for a way out”.

Aria’s face was still indecisive, but by the way she was clutching her pad, Mako knew he got her. He wasn’t lying, either – to pull off the operations she wanted to pull off they needed the money, and jobs were pretty scarce those days.

“Alright”, she relented, “But I reserve the right to pull out the plug if things get even slightly dangerous”.

“Okay, how many explosions would count as ‘slightly dangerous’?” Mako grinned at her, trying to lighten the mood.

Aria rolled her eyes at him, but a small smile tugged on her lips. “Two, at most”.

“Deal!” Mako slid away from the cockpit. “Now c’mon, let’s go find us a scion!”

* * *

Back on the Kingdom Come, Cass was still trying to come to terms with what their tiara being some kind of ancient weapon might mean for them. Cass never felt particularly connected to the Apostolosian Empire. Logically, that must have been where they came from. They’ve always suspected they might have been the child of soldiers stationed on Counterweight during the war, left behind during the upheaval that was their defeat. In their last charitable moments they wondered what it says about them that they hope their parents are dead, just so that it doesn’t mean they were left alone voluntarily. Probably not a great mark of their character, but understandable nonetheless, they thought.

AuDy has been quiet as well, maybe out of politeness, probably just out of not having anything to say – it was hard to tell with them, sometimes. They took care of the meeting with Paisley alone, leaving Cass with their thoughts on the ship, which is when a chime sounded from the door, implying visitors.

While this might not be their ship, it was practically their home, so Cass felt comfortable enough to open the door and tell whoever it was to fuck off until AuDy gets back. What they didn’t expect, however, were the man and woman from the spaceport – Mako and Aria, they reminded themself.

“What are you doing here?” They blurted out, aware they were being rude but not particularly caring.

“Missed us?” Mako asked them, cheekily.

“Not really, no”, Cass frowned, crossing their arms, before re-thinking it and placing one hand on their pocket, protecting the regalia. Mako, who noticed this action, pouted a bit.

“Hey, I’m not going to steal it again, I swear”.

“So what are you doing here?” Cass didn’t budge.

“It’s… a bit of a story. Can we come in?”

Later, Cass couldn’t explain to AuDy what made them agree. It could have been the strangeness of the day’s events, the emotional turmoil upon realizing someone took their belonging, the imbalance they felt finally knowing what the tiara really was. Or, rather, they could explain to AuDy what made them agree, but they would much rather not – the curvature of Mako’s cheeky smile, his mismatched clothes, different than those in the warehouse (when did he have time to change?) but no less shocking, his casual position at the door, as if there was nowhere else he would rather be.

It was curiosity, about the regalia, Apostalos, the divine. About Mako, and his perchance for trouble, Aria, and her weird regalia. It was the boredom of the orphanage, the mundanity of life.

It was sheer insanity, but they let them in.

* * *

“You are what now”, AuDy said, flatly. It wasn’t even a question, really. Cass couldn’t blame them. The situation felt too absurd for questions.

Mako explained again, for what felt like the hundredth time: “15 years ago the scion of the Apostolosian Empire disappeared, yeah? Cassander Timaeus Berenice, which is frankly and awful name to give to a child, I don’t even know what their parents were thinking, why would you do that to – “

Aria coughed pointedly, which got Mako back on track. “Anyway! Cass, here, doesn’t remember shit, right? And when did you get to the orphanage?”

“Fifteen years ago”, Cass confirmed.

“Fifteen years ago!” Mako crowed. “It all fits!”

“Except that the child disappeared off September, and Cass showed up at an orphanage on Counterweight”, AuDy argued back, before looking at Cass. “You can’t possibly believe this?”

Honestly, Cass didn’t know what to believe. The thought of them being royalty was almost laughable in its absurdity, but the dates, the details – it all made sense. What if they were never found because no one ever knew where to look?

Mako shrugged, “It was pretty chaotic, after the Righteous Vanguard attacked. Who knows what happened between there and here. But still, it makes sense”.

If robots could huff, AuDy would. “What does?”

“The regalia. It wouldn’t make sense, for it to just be left with a child in an orphanage in the aftermath of a war. But if it belonged to the scion, and if the scion was lost… and here we are!” Mako punctuated the ending with a little bit of flourish in his hand, a “ta-da” moment to something that was so impressive it was slightly ludicrous.

Aria, who remained quiet up to now, piped up: “It really does make sense, doesn’t it? There weren’t a lot of Apostolosians left on Counterweight after the war… If somebody knew you were here they would have come and got you ages ago. But if no-one knew…”

Aria couldn’t have known, but Cass felt themself flinch, just a tiny bit. The words echoed his earlier thoughts to an almost uncanny degree, and they didn’t like the spark of _want_ they left in them, sharp and bright and _dangerous_. Wanting to not be a nobody, wanting to be _wanted_ – those were dangerous things to be feeling on Counterweight.

Surprisingly enough, it was AuDy who was next to agree. “It wouldn’t hurt to check, I suppose. Seems as likely as any other option, and the regalia does seem to complicate our previous theories somewhat”, AuDy shrugged in their own special way. “We take the Kingdom Come, we could be there in a few weeks. I took care of the Paisley job already, and there isn’t anything on the horizon currently, unfortunately”.

Aria sighed, “Yeah, work has been rather dry”.

“That’s… rather fast of you, AuDy”, Cass murmured.

AuDy shrugged again, “Like I said, it wouldn’t do us any harm”.

Not physical harm, at least, but then AuDy was rather oblivious to the particular details of emotions and feelings. Cass could feel themself involuntarily smile at their friend’s pragmatism.

“Alright, fine. We can give it a try. But if it turns out, and I suspect it will, that I’m not some long-lost scion, and we get into trouble for this, it’s your head that’s on the hook”, they point at Mako, who shrugs. “My head’s been in worst things”.

* * *

Life in space was weird. For once, there was no gravity, so moving around was a difficulty. Cass wasn’t graceful on the best of days, and that was _with_ gravity. They were sure that at this point 80% of their body was already covered with bruises.

Another thing was just how boring it was. The first day was pretty exciting – the possibility of figuring out where they were from, the prospect of being in space for the first time (or for the second, if Mako’s theory was to be believed). Space was beautiful, all black with tiny lights, each one a distant world.

That got real old, real fast. Watching the same scenario every day, nothing moving, nothing changing, made it feel like they were locked in place, not moving at incredible speeds the way Cass knew they were. It was a form of claustrophobia, despite the Kingdom Come being big enough to house Aria’s rigor.

And that was the last thing – their passengers. Aria was unobtrusive enough. Cass finally figured out why she looked familiar to them. They should have realized sooner, but to be fair, they weren’t exactly expecting to be robbed by a pop-star. She was nice though, and pretty cool, and prone to bursting into song at random moments. It was sweet, and Cass easily felt themself warming up to her.

Mako though – Mako was a different story. From the start, Cass felt awkward next to him: stumbling on his feet while Mako moved around with grace, their speech blunt and crude next to Mako’s ability to seemingly talk the devil out of a pair of pants. Cass never wanted to be someone else than who they were, never felt truly self-conscious or embarrassed, but being around Mako made them aware of every speck of their body, every movement and every word.

Cass knew what attraction was, of course. There were people, before – men and women and others, in the orphanage and outside. But it was never like this, before, never this uncertain or this… _weird_. It was weird! Mako was an absolutely bizarre man, and certainly not Cass’ regular type. Honestly, Cass would have chalked it up to their desire to dress the guy better, if it weren’t also for the desire to divest him of any clothes at the nearest convenience.

Cass didn’t appreciate feeling like a horny teenager again. They were 21, way beyond the range of that clusterfuck, this was completely ridiculous. A day ago Mako caught them when they almost fell from the upper deck of the hanger, and Cass could swear everyone in a ten mile radios could hear their heartbeat. They were acting like a fucking damsel in distress in one of those old old _old_ movies AuDy liked to hate, and it was absolutely, completely, indescribably outrageous.

And so they were –

“Are you avoiding me?”

Avoiding Mako.

Mako, who stood in the entrance to the kitchen, one hand on the doorframe to hold himself in place, the other deep in his pocket. The pocket of a truly hideous jacked – bright orange with a green trim, the material plasticky and cheap. Cass wanted to burn it immediately.

“I’m not”, they absolutely were.

Mako’s eyes narrowed, “You are!” He let go of the doorframe to float inside the room, finally settling in a chair that has been bolted to the floor on day one, after Aria decided that enough was enough and they needed stable space to eat at. “You totally are. It’s been three days and I’ve hardly seen you, but apparently you and Aria have been rocking secret karaoke parties”.

“They were hardly _secret karaoke parties_ ”, Cass turned their back on Mako, occupying themself with cooking the pasta, “We were drunk, and it was just that one time”.

Mako gasped, “You’ve been getting drunk without me? _Aria, you traitor_!” he yelled back into the open space of the ship. Turning back to Cass, he said: “Still doesn’t explain why you are avoiding me”.

“I’m really not – “

“Bullshit”, Mako rose up from the chair and came to stand next to Cass, “That such complete – hey, what are you making? That smells _good_ ”.

Even after only three days Cass noticed Mako’s complete inability to hold a single thread of thought for long. Grateful for the opportunity, they jumped in. “Just lemony courgette linguine, nothing too fancy”.

Mako sniffed at the dish, “Oh man, I wish I could cook!”

“Do you have some disability that is holding you back?” Cass raised an eyebrow, finally turning to face Mako, before realizing they were waaaay too close and looking at the pasta again.

“Nah, just was never much good at it, y’know? Got catering at the school I grew up at, and when I joined up with Aria we hardly ever have a kitchen, moving around like we do”.

“I could teach you”, and oh, how Cass truly, truly, loathed themself at the moment. ‘I could teach you’? What the hell? They were trying to avoid Mako, not find new and complicated ways to get closer to him.

“Ah, shit, really?” And how was it possible that Cass could practically _feel_ Mako’s smile at that? “That would be awesome! Oh man, wait until I show Lazer Ted my new cool culinary skills”.

“Lazer Ted?” Cass found themself asking almost without thinking, a twinge of discomfort sitting low in their stomach.

Mako waved them off, “Ah, a friend. One of our contacts, actually. He is a pretty cool dude, but a bit… spacey. Really good with a hack though, let me tell you. Hooked me and Aria once with some sweet fake IDs”.

“What on earth did you need a fake ID for?” Cass could feel themself smile as they kept asking more and more questions, falling into the wild tale of adventure and misfortune Mako was painting for them. Mako was a storm in action, gesturing with his hands, making different voices for different characters, his facial features changing constantly. Cass was used to the drabness of Counterweight, to the sadness and loneliness of the orphanage. Mako was a breath of fresh air, and his stories were like nothing Cass could imagine, full of people and places that have never fit inside their life from before. But also full of –

“There is _no way_ that happened”, Cass protested one of Mako’s wilder tangents. “You have not bought 20 robots using credit you didn’t have”.

“Ah, but Cass, darling”, and no, Cass was not blushing, “I certainly have. And you want to know the best thing about it?”

Despite themself, Cass was smiling. “What, did you also get a spaceship out of it?”

“No – well, I got the Ring of Saturn, but not a spaceship. No, the best thing about that deal was that I closed it and they signed it, all the while believing my name was”, and here Mako paused for dramatic effect, “Drillbot Taylor”.

Unbidden, a snort left Cass, “You did not!”

Mako laughed, spinning around and grabbing back onto the counter, “I did too!”

Cass shook their head, charmed. “Honestly, it’s a wonder you two are still alive, pulling off those stints. The doctor in me is positively horrified”.

Mako paused, for a moment. “You’re a doctor?”

“Well, almost”, Cass answered, “Intern, currently. I had to take a few days off for this trip, but those were the first leave days I took since I started, so they didn’t complain _too_ much”.

“Oh wow”, Mako breathed, leaning in. Cass unconsciously gripped the spatula they were holding tighter. They really wished Mako had a better sense of personal boundaries. “Hot, mysterious, and a doctor? You are the whole package, dude”.

Before Cass could even process – hot? What? – alarms went off all throughout the ship. From the cockpit came AuDy’s voice. “It seems like we are under an attack”.

A shudder rocked the Kingdom Come, and Cass found themself stumbling into Mako, the two of them crushing into the wall. They stood there, for a second, just breathing – Mako, his back flat against the wall and his front flushed with Cass’, his eyes wide and a hint of a grin from before still stuck to his lips. Cass wanted to kiss him, then, a sudden realization of a thought that has been brewing in their mind for the last three days, watching Mako doing anything from fogging to hover tricks to singing off-key while working on Aria’s rigor.

Another explosion rocked the ship and the moment broke. Cass scrambled away, almost knocking into the cabinet, while Mako quickly grinned at them and shoot off towards the cockpit.

Cass followed him as fast as they could, heart still thudding in their chest, adrenaline spiking from more than just the attack.

“Who’s shooting at us, AuDy?” Mako shouted, announcing themself to the pilot. AuDy, who was focused on the screen in front of them, hardly spared them a glance. “It seems to be pirates, but I haven’t exactly had the time to share social pleasantries. Aria already engaged them with the Brilliance”.

Cass rolled their eyes and turned to exit the cramped space. “Is the other rigor ready?”

“Wait, that piece of junk is yours?” Mako shoot them an incredulous glance.

“We bought it a few weeks ago from JM, seems to be in a working condition”, AuDy made a few sharp turns with the ship, almost crushing Cass into Mako again.

“Seems to be – wait, you haven’t even tested it and you want to take it out into a space battle?” Mako asked, well, shouted-asked.

Cass shrugged at them, “I flew it a few time out in the desert, it’s fine”.

Mako grabbed at their hand before they could leave, a burst of warmth on their skin. “You can’t be serious. Let me pilot it”.

Cass raised an eyebrow at him. “Have you ever piloted a rigor before?”

“Well, no, but – “

“Then just let me do this, Mako”.

“This is insane, you can’t – “

“Mako”, and now Cass was the one who grabbed Mako’s other hand, which was waving around in panic. “Do you really think I’m royalty?”

“You know I do”, Mako said, his eyes glued to their hands, clasped together.

Cass smirked and let go, “Then stop bossing me around”. And with that, they made their way to the hanger. It was time to make a plan.

* * *

In the aftermath of the attack, Mako admitted that Cass made the right call. They were a natural in the rigor, them and Aria flying in perfect harmony around the pirate ship, blowing stuff up and slashing things and generally being awesome. From the co-pilot sit where he was fogging into the pirates’ defense systems, Mako couldn’t help but be distracted by them. He was used to Aria’s special brand of agility and almost dance-like movement in the Brilliance, but it was Cass’ sheer brute force that had him captivated. The Apostolosian was pretty clumsy on the ground, but in a mech? That’s where they belonged.

Not for the first time, Mako felt uncomfortable with the whole ruse. Somehow, when he planned this, he failed to account the days spent with the people they were doping. AuDy’s dry wit and frankly horrible taste in movies were a constant riot, and Mako couldn’t remember anyone but Lazer Ted making him laugh so hard. The Kingdom Come had its own charm as well – all secret nooks and twisted corridors, depleted rooms and cozy living spaces. It was clear it was well-loved and worn in, a house on the move in a way Mako never had.

But it was Cass that was the hardest thing to get used to. The attraction – the attraction Mako could handle. God knows he was horrifically attracted to Paisley, and he had to meet with the man on an almost weekly basis, not to mention set deals and contracts with him. Mako noticed Cass was attractive from the moment they met, it was hard not to. Were they meeting under any other circumstance – in a bar, perhaps in a Constellation Café – Mako would be hitting on that in a heartbeat.

It was hard to hit on someone when they were accusing you of theft, harder when you really _did_ steal something from them. In the whirlwind of their meeting, his plan, convincing Aria of his plan, convincing Cass _and_ AuDy of it as well – he didn’t forget, not really, but he… compartmentalized. Pushed it to the back of his mind, somewhere he got get to if he needed to fog himself, as he sometimes did, but not somewhere it would be distracting.

Or at least, that was the plan. And it worked, for a bit – Cass was clearly bent on avoiding him, probably still angry about the whole stealing thing, and Mako would have let things lie, really, he would, except Mako never knew an awkward situation he didn’t jump head first into.

The conversation in the kitchen – now that was a surprise. That Cass could cook, that they could cook _well_ , that they were a doctor; all things that complicated the image he had of Cass in their head, as someone hot and distant and not real, not an actual human being – well, Apostolosian being, whatever – that Mako could grow to actually _like_.  Their small smiles at Mako’s stories, the way they asked questions unabashedly, actually interested, entrapped by Mako’s words… It was an ego boost, but it was also really fucking cute, and Mako couldn’t handle it.

“Fuck”, he groaned, collapsing next to Aria in the living room. It was only the two of them just then, AuDy in the cockpit and Cass in the hanger, trying to fix some problems with their rigor.

Aria hardly spared him a glance, working on her pad. “Bored again?”

“Yes – no – yes? Yes”, Mako finally decided, laying his head on Aria’s shoulder.

“What, creepily watching Cass work not interesting enough for you anymore?”

Mako’s head shoot up, and he looked at Aria flustered. “That’s not – I wasn’t – Aria!”

“What?” she finally set down her pad and turned to look at Mako. “You thought I didn’t notice? Please, Mako, as if I don’t know you. You’ve hardly been subtle”.

Mako groaned again, covering his face. “Do you think they noticed?”

Aria hummed, pondering. “Probably not?” She said, quizzically. “They don’t seem to be the most observant person around. AuDy definitely hasn’t, because they _definitely_ aren’t the most observant person around”.

“Thank god for small favors”, Mako sighed, uncovering his face and slinging his head against the back of the sofa, staring at the ceiling. “What am I going to do?”

Aria raised an eyebrow. “Wait until we get back to Counterweight and fuck them out of your system?”

“It’s not that simple”, Mako said, still staring at the ceiling. It really was hideous, the grey panels of the ship not obscured by anything more aesthetically pleasing. Idly Mako began to plan a way to fix that, before quickly shutting that thought down. It wasn’t like they were staying, honestly.

Aria remained quiet for a few moments, before she said “Oh _Mako_ ”, like he was breaking her heart. Mako _hated_ hearing her sound like that: For one, she was Aria Joie, and she was only ever supposed to sound perky and happy and energetic, and for another, if anyone was getting their heart broken it was him, thank you very much.

“Only you would fall in love with a mark, really”, she chuckled, softly, a sad sound. Mako swiveled his head just enough to give her a look. “I’m not _in love_ , Joie, what the fuck. Just a little bit…” He trailed off, unsure.

“Attached?” Aria suggested, smiling at him. “For what’s it worth, I approve. They are a good person, and even better, they are really good with a mech”.

Mako snorted, “A rousing endorsement, really”. He subsided for a moment. “Not that it matters, really. In a few days they are either going to find out I lied to them or they are going to be instated as a scion of an Empire, and we are going to be back on our way to Counterweight, richer beyond our dreams. That should be enough”.

“Ah, Mako”, Aria sighed, and hugged him, his hands hanging limply at his side before coming around to clutch at her back, “’Should’ is almost never enough”.

* * *

Their arrival in Apostalos went smoothly, compared to their ride over. Upon docking Aria commed her contact in the royal household – a woman named Jacqui Green who was apparently part of the Apokine Sokrates’ security detail. Aria didn’t volunteer much information about how she knew her, but by her blush and Mako’s smirk Cass could draw some conclusions.

Apostalos itself was… ‘beautiful’ might have felt like a bit of an understatement, but Cass didn’t really have any other words to describe it. Wide open streets, large buildings made of white marble, so clean it was almost shining. Gardens on every other corner, with flowers of every color on the spectrum.

And the sky – Cass never saw the sky like that, open and clear and blue-green like the scales on their neck. Nothing like the domes, with their hazy air and muted colors.

Cass felt deeply, deeply uncomfortable. They didn’t belong here, somewhere that was so clean and tidy – they belonged in the chaos of Counterweight, in filthy hospitals and filthier streets. That was where they had purpose, had a _mission._ It was the only place they ever knew, and while they didn’t always fill like they fit there either (their Apostolosian heritage marking them as an outsider, always), it was the only place they knew they belonged.

They were alone with Mako, currently. AuDy elected to say on the Kingdom Come until their meeting with Jacqui, and Aria bounded off to have a little _pre-meeting_ , as Mako called it. Mako, surprisingly, was being very quiet, a state Cass has almost never seen him in.

After the battle it became somewhat… easier, to be around him. Not that Cass wasn’t attracted to him anymore – they were, embarrassingly so. But feeling in control for the first time since meeting him and Aria, and proving they weren’t just a nobody from Counterweight...

Getting to kick some ass helped too.

“I don’t think this is a good idea”, Cass found themself blurting, and immediately blushed. Mako turned to look at them, and Cass had no idea what he was seeing on their face, but whatever it was had him frown a bit and take their hand in his. Cass couldn’t really say they minded.

“C’mon, let’s go sit over there”, and he led them both to a secluded corner of the garden they were currently exploring. It was a good day – not too hot, not too cold, a shining sun and a few lazy clouds providing them with cover from the rays. The corner they set it was hidden from the street, and a pond nearby was housing several fish. Cass had, just for a second, pondered if they were cousins, before the absurdity hit them and they chuckled, just a bit. Mako sent them a questioning look.

“Just wondering if we’re related”, Cass explained, and gestured towards the fish. Mako grinned in understanding. “Buddy, I’m pretty sure if I make any fish jokes on here I would get executed”.

“I wouldn’t let them”, and fuck, Cass hadn’t meant to make it sound so serious. They were supposed to be bantering, not… whatever that was.

Mako’s grin softened into a smile, “Didn’t think you would, pal. Now, what wasn’t a good idea? Surely nothing of mine, because my ideas are _always_ great”.

Cass chuckled, their hand rising to tuck a stray piece of hair behind their ear. It was really getting too long, now. They should probably cut it, but they kind of liked it that way, liked being able to spend some time every morning putting it up in elaborate hairdos. Aria gave them a few tips, and they spent some hours working on each other’s hair, Mako watching from the side and throwing some comments here and there. It was a good morning.

“I don’t know, this whole thing – even if… even if I am who you think I am, and I have some… royal blood in me, or whatever, it’s still isn’t me. I’m a doctor, not a scion”, they looked at the direction of the city center, where they knew the royal house was, “I don’t belong there”.

Mako frowned a bit. “Listen, Cass. People – people? They don’t belong _anywhere_. Maybe we did, on earth, once, but now? Nobody belongs nowhere. It’s all about you forcing a place to accept you. It’s about you putting your flag on the ground and daring anyone to say something. You just gotta be you, unapologetically, and if people can’t accept that it’s their problem, not yours”.

“That’s… a unique perspective on life”, Cass quirked their lips. It was so _Mako_ , so brazen and blunt, so completely himself in every facet of his being. Cass didn’t know that they know themself well enough to be that.

Mako shrugged, “I grew up in September, did I tell you that?”

Cass shook their head. “I mean, I assumed – not a lot of people who can fog like you did during the thing with the pirates, but it wasn’t any of my business”.

“Eh, I don’t mind. It isn’t some big secret, or anything. I’m sure the institute knows exactly where I am, anyway”.

“Why did you leave?” Cass asked, curious. There was still so much about Mako they didn’t know, but wanted to, and that was info being handed to them on a golden platter.

“Augh, that place sucked!” Mako groaned, slouching back in on the bench. “All ‘don’t do this, don’t do that, wear this, talk like that’. There were some cool people around – that’s where I met Ted – but most of them were just so obsessed with this bullshit social hierarchy, I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t graduate, you know. Just grabbed a ride off planet when I was 17, didn’t look back. Met Aria like a year later, been travelling around with her since then”.

“Forcing spaces for yourselves, huh?” Cass repeated wryly.  They looked at Mako, then – his head thrown back, his hair swaying in the breeze, one hand raising to cover his eyes from the sun’s glare. This trip would have never happened without Mako, Cass knew that – they would never have left Counterweight, never tried to figure out where they came from, never saw this place, cold and distant as it was, but still beautiful.

“Thank you”, they said, suddenly. Mako raised his head slightly to look at them, confused. “What for?”

“Finding me?” Cass shrugged, “Convincing me to come? Fogging the pirates’ defense system? I don’t know, take your pick”.

Mako’s smile at that was one that Cass hasn’t seen yet, jagged and sharp, nothing like his usual bright grins. It looks painful, for some reason, and Cass didn’t understand why but they knew they never wanted to see it again. “You’re welcome, Cass”.

They sat like that for what felt like hours, the sun shining above and the fish swimming below. And Cass knew that no mattered what happened, if they were really a scion or not, they at least had this moment.

* * *

 “I can’t do this”, Mako grabbed Aria, hissing. “Call it off”.

“Mako, what – I can’t, I already told Jacqui and she told the Apokine, they will be here any second”, she hissed back, dragging him further behind AuDy and Cass. The four of them were in a side room at the royal household, waiting for Jacqui and the Apokine themself to show up and probably interrogate Cass on everything. Mako was going to be sick.

“I can’t do this to them Aria”, Mako shook her a bit.

“It’s a little bit late for second thoughts, Mako”, she snapped, before softening. “Listen, like you said – it will all probably work out alright, and Cass will have a title and a home and a family”.

“And what if it doesn’t?” Mako snapped back, “Or – or what if it does, but Cass hates it here, and resents me forever for bringing them, and never talks to me or want to see me again, or-“

“Mako, stop”, Aria grabbed him by the shoulders. “You knew it wasn’t going to work with them no matter what. And it might be painful for a while, but you will meet other people, and do other things, and this will pass. You know it will”.

But Mako knew no such thing. He did know that Cass’ smile was adorable, that when Cass tucked their hair back Mako wanted to be the one to do it, that he wanted Cass to teach him to cook. He wanted to have secret karaoke parties with Cass, he wanted to be the one to do Cass’ hair. He wanted to be there for Cass after a long day at the hospital, and he wanted Cass to be there for him after every long, tiring job. He wanted to see who he could be with Cass, and who Cass could be with him – who they could be together, with Aria and AuDy, on the Kingdom Come, running jobs together and not thinking about cons or scions or far, distant planets they didn’t belong to anymore.

He didn’t want his last conversation with Cass to be a lie.

 Before he could convey all of that to Aria (hopefully in a much less embarrassing way), the door opened, admitting who could only have been the Apokine themself. They weren’t very tall, but had a presence to them, one that immediately commanded attention. The presence of Jacqui next to them, nearly 7 feet tall and buff as hell, helped too.

There was silence, for a moment, before the Apokine spoke. “So, I’ve been told you have some information about the missing scion?” They didn’t seem too trusting, but they weren’t disinterested either – clearly theirs wasn’t the first group to claim that.

Aria elbowed Mako, pushing him a few steps forward. Immediately the Apokine’s attention was on him.

“Ah, yes, your majesty, um, your royal highness? My king? How should I-“ Mako babbled for a second. The Apokine’s lips twitched, clearly amused. “Your majesty will suffice. Continue”.

“Right”, Mako took a breath. This was what he did – quick talking, bullshitting, however you call it – that was his element. But he found that for once in his life, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Your majesty. Several days ago, while I was completing a business on Counterweight, I came across an Apostolosian, 21 years old. They grew up in an orphanage, without any memory of where they came from. Digging a bit deeper into their record, they have arrived on Counterweight 15 years ago, coinciding exactly with the September incident. They-“

The Apokine raised a hand, effectively commanding Mako to silence. “Enough”, they said. “This is all nice and well, but I have heard this story countless times from countless people. None of them have yet been able to produce concrete evidence. Do you have one?” They looked at Cass, clearly smart enough to figure out they were the one Mako was talking about.

Mako looked at Cass as well, for probably the first time since they have entered this building. The guilt churning in his stomach rose to an almost unbearable level every time he did, and so he tried to avoid it. But here, now, he was helpless to resist.

Cass was clearly uncomfortable, holding themself rigidly next to AuDy. But they were also staring at the Apokine, unblinking, their eyes focused but also somehow distant, as if trying to remember something from a long time ago. Mako frowned, and called out, “Cass?”

Cass shook their head, clearly disoriented, “Right, right, here”, and from their pocket they held up the regalia, the thing that has started this whole debacle in the first place. For a moment, Mako hated it, truly hated it, the object which has made him think of this stupid stupid plan, the thing that is now going to take Cass away.

(You made Cass go away, something in him hissed, you don’t get to feel sad about the consequences).

The Apokine’s eyebrow rose, surprise coloring their face. “Ah, a regalia”. They gestured at Cass to come closer, and with a hesitant look at Mako, they did, coming to a stop just a feet before the Apokine, holding up the regalia for inspection. But the Apokine wasn’t looking at the regalia – instead, they were assessing Cass, sizing them up.

Mako held his breath. This was it – if Sokrates didn’t buy that this was their little sibling, their plan would fail. But if their plan failed, Cass… Cass would stay.

“Hmm…” the Apokine reached to take the regalia, but the second they looked at it, their face lost all color. “Impossible…”

Aria shoot Mako a look, and Mako shrugged at her, helpless. He had no idea what was going on, but he was sure he didn’t like it.

Taking a moment to compose themself, the Apokine looked at Cass again, their gaze piercing. “Every few months, I have to handle a new person showing up, claiming to be my lost sibling, claiming a heritage and a name they don’t deserve. It’s a harrowing experience, to have one’s hope dashed, again and again. Every time they fail to satisfy my questions, I feel my sibling getting further away from me, lost somewhere I will never reach”.

Cass was as still as stone, at this point, and Mako couldn’t blame them – the tension in the room was so fierce eve AuDy must have felt it, and to be at the center of that gaze must feel terrifying.

“The specific question”, the Apokine continued, either not noticing or, more likely, not caring, about the atmosphere in the room, “that they always fail to answer is one only I know the answer to, as I was the sole witness, that horrible night”. They closed their eyes for a moment, seemingly gathering their strength, before opening them and looking at Cass yet again.

“How did the lost scion escape the room? There were screams, and explosions. The only exists were barricaded by the terrorists. How could a six year old have made it out, on their own, with no one noticing them disappearing?”

Mako froze. Shit! Shit shit shit shit! There was no way Cass could answer that, but _Mako_ could, and now wasn’t that just about right, that Mako’s lies and deceit would be the reason that this mission goes south?

He was about to… to do something, say some bullshit or shout or maybe fake a heart attack, when Aria’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Look”, she whispered to him. “Look at Cass”.

Cass looked like they were in _pain_ – their face was scrunched, their shoulders slumped, their whole body almost hunched. Mako was fully prepared to shake off Aria and run to him – and from the corner of his eye, he could see AuDy preparing to do the same – before Cass started speaking.

“There was a song…” Cass’ voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear, but Mako could swear they all stopped breathing. “People dancing. So many people. Gold everywhere. I was… dancing? No, but I was laughing. There was someone with me… they were hugging me. And then… Fire. There were explosions? People screaming, everywhere. I was so scared. I didn’t know where everyone went, where adelfós was, but. There was a boy. He took my hand, and he led me to the corner, and it was so exciting because there was a secret door there, and it just opened, like magic. And we walked for a long time, and I was cold and hungry but he still held my hand, and he would shush me when I started crying”.

Mako was hardly breathing. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be – that kid was Cass? Cass really was the lost scion?

“That was you?” he just blurted it out into the silence of the room, and immediately got the attention of everyone in it. The Apokine looked like they were close to crying, while Cass looked like they were crying, just a little, their eyes wide open.

“Mako, what-“ Aria tried to hush him, but he ignored her, for a moment, his eyes trained on Cass. “That kid, who was grabbing my hand so hard it felt like I was losing circulation – that kid was you?”

Cass’ eyes, if possible, grew even wider. “The boy – that was _you_?”

“You were in the September incident?” Aria turned to Mako, incredulous. “You never told me!”

“Well, this is certainly unexpected”, AuDy remarked, and from the corner of his eye Mako could see Jacqui cough a little, masking her laugh. Not that he particularly cared, his entire attention focused on Cass, who was still staring at him like a stranger.

“You… Wait. Wait”, Cass was shaking their head, “If that was you, why… Why didn’t you say something? You could have asked me if I remembered, and then we would have known for sure I really was who you thought I was. Unless…” and Mako could almost see the dawning realization, and its existence terrified him, numbing him completely.

“You… You didn’t think I was really the scion, did you?” Cass asked, rhetorically, their voice deceptively blank. “This was all a con, wasn’t it? Another one of your wild adventures. How much money would you get out of this? 20 credits? 30, maybe? Enough to never have to work another job in your life, probably. Could ‘force a space for yourself’ anywhere you want, now”.

Mako couldn’t say anything, because it was all true. Every word they said, every accusation, _true_. Mako knew from the beginning that this was morally grey, even wrong, but he didn’t care, because it was so much money. So what if Cass got hurt, right? It’s not like he knew them, it’s not like he cared. Only he did, he did, and this was worse than getting perforated by bullets, worse than leaving Tower behind, worse than any of that, because Cass looked so hurt, so betrayed, and it was all Mako’s fault, Mako’s stupid mouth and stupider plans that caused this.

The room was silent, for a moment. Aria clearly didn’t know what to do, and AuDy seemed deeply uncomfortable surrounded by such heightened emotion. In the end, it was the Apokine who broke the silence, their hand resting on Cass’ shoulder.

“Cassander – and oh, how I thought I would never get to say that name again! – I would like to spend some time alone with you, if you agree. I have waited so long to see you again, I want to hear everything that has happened to you. I’m sure this young man”, and they shot Mako a look he couldn’t decipher, “Will wait for you with your companions”.

Cass didn’t reply for a moment, their accusing gaze still burning into Mako. “Yeah, yeah…” they mumbled at last, turning away and looking at the Apokine. “Sure, let’s just… leave. AuDy, I will find you later”.

And as the doors closed behind them, Mako found himself breathing again, but there was no relief to be found.

* * *

The whole situation, Cass thought, was incredibly surreal. There they were, just finished telling their older sibling, whom they hardly remembered, who was the ruler of a whole planet, their life story, sitting on chairs that must have cost more than the Kingdom Come, in a room that looked like it came straight out of a magazine. The Apokine – Sokrates, they have insisted to be called – was listening attentively to every word they said, their gaze never straying away from Cass’ face. It was touching, but also slightly uncomfortable, and Cass’ tried to avoid their gaze as much as they could.

“A doctor, huh?” The Apokine, _Sokrates_ , finally relaxed in the chair, smiling at Cass. “That’s pretty impressive, Cassander”.

Despite themself, Cass flinched a little at the name. Sokrates, of course, noticed. “Ah, I apologize. Would you prefer Cass, then?”

“I guess?” Cass shrugged, “It’s what I’ve always been called. To be honest, I don’t really feel like a Cassander”.

Sokrates chuckled, “That’s understandable. It’s not even your full name, you know”.

“Yeah, Mako said”. God, even saying his name made them tenser. “I don’t remember the full name, though”.

“Cassander Timeus Berenice, of the house Palegios”, Sokrates recited, “But I think we will stick with Cass, for now. Now that my curiosity have been somewhat sated, I’m sure you have many questions for me as well. Ask away?”

Cass did have many questions, but there was only one they _had_ to know the answer to right away. “What happened, that night? You heard, earlier. I only have a very vague memory, and until today I wasn’t even aware it _was_ a memory”.

“Ah, starting with the tough questions”, Sokrates sighed. “We were all there on September for a gala, but not everyone liked that we were there. The war has only been over for a few short months, and people weren’t quick to forget the atrocities of all the fighting. A group called ‘The Righteous Vanguard’ was the one responsible. Our parents died, and Eunthe, our older sibling, was gravely injured. You were gone, and I was left to rule”, Sokrates’ face twisted a bit, at that. “I never stopped looking for you, you have to know that”.

Cass swallowed, looking down. “I think…” he started slowly, “I think I did know that. Or, at least, I hoped for that”.

“Good”, Sokrates breathed, on the verge of tears again, “That’s good”.

An awkward silence hung in the room for a few moments before Cass broke it. “Listen, Sokrates. I don’t… I don’t know how to do this? I’m not a scion, I’m a _doctor_. And this place… It’s beautiful”. They stood up, and started pacing. “It’s beautiful, but it’s not mine. I don’t… I don’t belong here. I thought coming here, finding, well, finding you, I thought that would make everything slot into place. I would figure it all out. And I’m happy I came here, really, I am, but there hasn’t been any such moment for me. Or, if there was, it was about Counterweight, and who I was there, not here. I don’t-“

“Cass”, Sokrates stopped them, also standing up and grabbing their shoulders, halting their pacing. “Tell me: what do you think my job is?”

“Er”, Cass blinked, nonplussed, “To rule?”

“Yes. And do you think I enjoy it?” and looking at Sokrates, at their tired eyes, almost grey hair, slouched shoulders, Cass knew: “No”.

“Right. I really _really_ don’t”, Sokrates sighed before smiling at Cass. “And so I’m changing it. Changing all of it”.

“All of what?”

“This!” they gestured with their hands, throwing them wide open, “All of it! Apostalos, the Empire – it’s all going to end”.

“What are you _talking_ about?” Cass was horribly confused.

“I’m going to install a demarchy – one without only one ruler, but a council, people selected by the people, for the people. No more royal bloodline, no more inane social hierarchies, but only true social change, one governed by the wishes of the people”, they stopped, waiting for Cass’ reaction.

Cass slowly blinked. “So...”

“So I’m not going to be Apokine for long, and you will _never_ have to be. I would ask you to stay here for a while, of course – I want to get to know the person you have become, and I’m sure Eunthe would love to get to know you as well. And I’m not going to lie, your return will be heralded by the people and will probably make this change a lot quicker, in my favor. I would like you to get to know this planet and those people, but you won’t have to stay – not forever, not if you didn’t want to. You could go back to Counterweight, or wherever else you wished to go. I certainly won’t be tying you down here”.

Cass knew they were gaping, but they couldn’t really help it. All of their fears and anxieties were for nothing, and it felt like a huge weight off their shoulders. They laughed, a bit hysterically, and Sokrates laughed with them 

They might now know what was going to happen with Mako, but they know that no mattered what, they at least had this – a family, and a second home, and a legacy that asked nothing from them in return 

* * *

Mako was having a _miserable_ time. Cass was mad at him, Aria was mad at him, and to top it all, it started to rain, which was just a little bit too cliché for his tastes. For lack of any other choice he has returned to the Kingdom Come, and by the time he got there he was already soaked. He had hoped to be alone for a while, maybe loss himself in the mesh, take his head off the whole clusterfuck, but it seemed like AuDy has already beat him there, and was waiting for him holding a towel.

“Don’t get the floors wet, please”, they said, handing it to him, “You might cause an electric shortage and die”.

Mako paused scrubbing his hair, “Wait, for real?” He looked at the floor suspiciously. “How run-down _is_ this ship?”

AuDy ignored him, turning back and heading to the living room. Mako followed them, jumping at every sound that might have been an electric discharge. “Are you mad at me too?”

“Why would I be mad at you, Mako?” AuDy stood next to one of the chairs and took out their gun, starting to clean it. It was more than slightly intimidating.

“For lying to everyone? For fucking it all up?”

“But you didn’t lie – Cass really is the lost Apostolosian scion”, AuDy replied, not even looking up from their task.

“Yeah, but I didn’t know that when I got you on board this plan”, Mako collapsed into a chair, “Hell, I didn’t even tell Aria about me being the one to save the scion in the first place”.

“I’m not Aria”.

“No, but you are Cass’ friend”, and I’m not, not anymore, but Mako didn’t say that, as he wasn’t quite that pathetic. Yet.

“It seems to me like it might be Cass you wish to speak to, and not me”.

“Well, duh, but I don’t think they will speak to me right now”, Mako started rocking in his chair, frustrated. “Not that I blame them, really, but I guess, I would like to apologize”.

“Apologizing would be a good first step”, AuDy agreed, finally looking up at Mako. “Listen, Mako. You made a mistake. Humans – you make mistakes all the time. Now you can either ignore it, take the money you are offered and go, or you can fix it by talking to Cass. Choose one and please go away, because I would rather like to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer right now, and your comments are almost always wrong”.

“Hey!” Mako objected, before asking: “You are taking this pretty calmly, the whole ‘Cass being a real scion’ thing. I know you didn’t think it was true, before”.

AuDy thought for a second. “I always know Cass must have had a past. It never mattered to me what that past was – it only ever mattered to them. I’m glad for them that they found out, but the way I see it, it doesn’t change anything. Cass is still Cass, and Cass still owns me 6 credits for that rigor in the hanger”.

Mako barked out a laugh. “Ha! Pragmatic as always. Nice”.

“Go talk to Cass, Mako”, AuDy said, going back to cleaning their gun. “And stop bothering me”.

“Sir yes sir!”

* * *

Fogging the Apostolosian security system was almost laughably easy. Granted, almost anything would be easy after fogging Divines, but Mako almost felt embarrassed for the Empire for the state of its security. Tonight, however, it was working for his advantage. He quickly downloaded the schematics of the building, and using his amazing deducing skills, figured out Cass must be in the empty room right next to the Apokine’s bedroom. He doubted Sokrates was willing to let their little sibling very far out of their sight, after all.

Sneaking around was Mako’s forte, and he had no trouble making his way to the royal chambers. Even sneaking past Jacqui was easy – or rather, she saw him, smirked at him, mouthed “Good luck” and flashed him a quick thumbs up. So all in all, a successful prowl.

Knocking on Cass’ door was a pretty mundane task, all things considered, but for Mako that was harder than the fogging and the sneaking all together. Despite having hours, he still haven’t figured out what to say, and he knew that a simple apology was inadequate. He used Cass, turned their vulnerabilities against them, and that was pretty low, even for him. He winced, remembering the way Cass looked at him just a few hours before. This was going to be tough.

But he was Mako Trig. He fogged Divines and he took names and kicked ass, and there were no Divines, names, or asses to kick right now, so he would have to do what he does best – fast talk.

Mako knocked on the door.

From inside the room he could hear shuffling, a low thud, a quiet curse, and he smiled softly, Cass’ clumsiness endearing even now. The door opened, Cass clearly ready for anyone but him.

“Mako”, they said, flatly.

“Cass”, Mako tried to smile at them, but it felt weird, awkward.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to… apologize?” Mako ventured, feeling nervous.

Cass frowned. “Apology not accepted, go away”.

“Listen, Cass, can I just come in? I kind of sneaked in, and I’m pretty sure sneaking in to the royal chambers is a pretty serious offense”. At Cass’ unimpressed look, he added: “You did promise not to let anyone execute me”.

Cass sighed, but their lips twitched, and Mako counted that as a small victory. They opened the door wider and headed back in, clearly expecting Mako to follow, which he did.

The room was opulent, but tastefully so. The whole color scheme was blue and green, which was a little corny in Mako’s taste, but it fit the aesthetic nicely – soft lines and small grandeur. Cass looked like they belonged there, their scales matching the décor, their bearing matching the atmosphere. For a moment, Mako wondered about a different Cass, one that grew up here, one that didn’t seem so unused to it all. He wondered if that Cass would have even met him, if they could have gotten as close. He wondered if he would have fallen in love with that Cass, and fuck, wasn’t _that_ a shitty timing to figure that little tidbit out, shit fuck shit.

Before he could really start to freak out, Cass faced him, their hands crossed. “Well, you wanted to talk, so talk”.

“Right”, Mako breathed in, shoving that realization to the back of his mind. “Right. Shit, Cass, I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. You were right, about all of it – it really did start like just another job. Aria needed the money, and I saw an opportunity and I took it. But somewhere I miscalculated. AuDy is fucking awesome, they are so funny, and the Kingdom Come begun to feel like home, and Aria started to talk about jobs we could all take together, and you – you promised to teach me to cook, and I told you about September, which I don’t talk about, not really, and suddenly we were here and I still didn’t tell you. And I never told about that night to anyone, not ever, not Aria, or Lazer Ted even. But I should have told you, and I’m sorry, and I’m gonna let you talk now because otherwise I’m just gonna have to get on my knees to beg for forgiveness”.

“I wouldn’t mind that”, Cass said, and immediately blushed. Mako’s never seen something so cute in his _life_.

“Sure!” and Mako kneeled down, in the middle of the royal chamber, in front of the Apostolosian scion that he saved as a kid. “Your royal majesty, my highness, supreme ruler of all the lands, leader of all fish –“ and he stopped, because Cass was laughing, a full-body thing, and Mako has never seen them before like this, but he would give almost every last credit he had to see it again. They kneeled down in front of Mako, facing him, wiping tears of laughter from their eyes.

“Stop, stop, I forgive you, just never call me any of those things any again”.

“Deal!” Mako would have dared the Divines themselves to resist Cass as they looked then, shining blue in the moonlight coming from the window, laughter still hiding in the corner of their face. And Mako wasn’t a Divine, was barely a stratos, and he could have hardly resisted, but he had to ask, he had to make sure. No more lies or misdirections.

“Okay, feel free to punch me if I got the wrong signals here, but – Cass, Cassander, Cass: can I kiss you?”

Cass looked… they looked like they have been punched, eyes wide, breath winded. Mako winced, ready to backtrack, before Cass leaned forward and kissed him first, neither forceful nor gentle, graceful, so unlike them on the ground but exactly like they were in a rigor, free and wild.

Breaking apart after a few moments, Mako took a second to just look at Cass. A strand of hair was hanging over their left eye, and with a feeling of triumph, Mako tucked it being their ear, smiling at them softly. “Been wanting to do that for ages”.

Cass rolled their eyes, but it was fond, and Mako’s smile turned into a grin. He bounded to his feet, extending a hand to help Cass up and then not letting go once they stood. Ideally he never wanted to let go, but he knew physics were against them in that regard. For one, the lack of gravity on the Kingdom Come would have made that difficult, and – wait.

Mako deflated. Cass, noticing, frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just… You are gonna stay here, obviously, but I can’t leave Aria, and she needs to go back to Counterweight, and I suppose we could give this long-distance thing a go, but I’m really bad at communicating over the mesh, which is pretty silly, considering I’m a stratos, and-“

Mako had to admit, Cass had a really effective way of shutting him up. He leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes, only to open them in dismay when Cass moved back, laughing at him softly. “What?”

“I’m not staying here, idiot”.

“What?” Mako repeated, a bit slower this time.

“Sokrates is going to abolish the monarchy. I have to stay here for a bit – I want to, really, Sokrates seems pretty cool, I guess – but I can go back to Counterweight whenever I want”.

“And… You want to?” Mako asked, hesitantly. “I know you said so before, but –“

“I do. I have a job there, and I have AuDy and I have… you?” Mako didn’t really like how that sentence ended on a questioning note, so he quickly darted in, pressing a kiss to Cass’ lips. “And me”.

Cass smiled, and then that smile turned mischievous, and Mako’s heart really shouldn’t have kicked into overdrive at that. “Hey, remember the regalia?”

Honestly, Mako almost forgot about that old thing, between everything else. “Sure, how could I forget? That’s what brought us together, babe”, he winked at Cass.

Cass rolled their eyes. “You mean, you stealing it brought us together. Wanna see the rigor it belongs to? I can give you a… _private_ tour”.

Mako’s heart definitely kicked into ultra overdrive at that. “Hell yeah, babe, lead the way”.

“Don’t call me babe”, Cass muttered, but a smile betrayed them.

“Oh, would you prefer honeycombs? My little mousebear?” Mako grinned, getting into it, “Oh, I have it, how about Fishy prince?”

“How about you call me Cass, and I call you Mako, and I won’t have to report you to the pun squad?” Cass replied dryly, shoving Mako towards the door, “C’mon, let’s go”.

And as Mako followed them, he made a mental note to remind Aria that pick-pocketing wasn’t all that bad – after all, he did manage to steal himself a scion. 

**Author's Note:**

> The ORIGINAL idea was for Ibex to be Rasputin. but tbh I couldn't figure out a way to get him there. However, you should all have the mental image of Ibex as Rasputin and Righteousness as Bartok, so. You're welcome?
> 
> come yell with me about star wars and f@tt on twitter or tumblr @merthurlin


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